By Martin Banks The new EU Commission will include a Commissioner dedicated to Animal Welfare. The move was “very positively” welcomed by animal protection NGOs. They say it will allow for “better prioritisation of the topic, in line with the demands of EU citizens.” Animal welfare will be included in the title of the new […]
Pope Francis was speaking on the first full day of an official four-day visit to the country, the first by a Pope for nearly 30 years. A Pope was last in Belgium in 1995 when Pope John Paul II performed the beautification of Father Damien, who cared for the lepers of Hawaii. The Pope came […]
By Ambassador Roy Chun Lee, Representative, Taipei Representative Office in the European Union and Belgium As the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) convenes in New York, the global community has once again come together to address the many pressing issues facing the world today. This year’s General Debate, which began on […]
By Martin Banks The Commission is seeking feedback from the public on draft new rules for low carbon hydrogen. It has launched a public consultation on a draft delegated act clarifying EU rules for defining low-carbon hydrogen and derived fuels under the decarbonised gases and hydrogen package. It says this is “another important step in […]
By Martin Banks Many young, non-white and Muslim, as well as central and Eastern European citizens in the 27 EU members states feel “excluded”, “disillusioned”, or “uninterested” in the politics of the European Union, according to major new report published today by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and European Cultural Foundation (ECF). The […]
Astoria, NY – September 24, 2024 – The Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) will present its annual New York Greek Film Expo, a Greek film festival for all New Yorkers, October 3—11. Screenings of the latest Greek films will be presented at the Village East Cinema in Manhattan, the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image […]
By Martin Banks A large group of European NGO representatives, members of the Break Free From Plastic movement and Zero Waste Europe network, displayed a large Pinocchio figure in front of the European Commission building in Brussels. They say the action on 24 September “illustrates how big consumer brands and supermarkets, with Member states’ leniency, […]
By Martin Banks The European Union is introducing two important changes for travel to Europe in a few weeks. These are: EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which is planned to launch on 10 November in 2024 and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), due in mid-2025. For those planning to travel later this year the […]
By Martin Banks Over 500 participants took part in the 2024 Budapest Forum. They included government ministers, ambassadors, national politicians, academics and policy experts who gathered last week at the Central European University (CEU) in Hungary. The annual event, which seeks to find democratic solutions to challenges facing the world today, has grown in size […]
Βy Martin Banks The European Commission has taken what it calls “a decisive step” in reinforcing support for Ukraine by proposing a comprehensive financial assistance package. This, it has been revealed, consists of a Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism of up to €45 billion, and an exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan of up to €35 billion. […]
